Biographical Info

Experiencing the impact of the cocaine epidemic in my native Colombia led me to pursue a career dedicated to the improved understanding and treatment of cocaine addiction. Since completing Clinical Training and becoming U.S Board Certified in Adult Psychiatry and Addictions Psychiatry in 2012, I have developed academic interest in the regulation of cocaine self-administration in humans, the validation of Remote Wireless Sensor Network (RWSN) technology for detecting cocaine use, and the role of cocaine-induced deficits in sleep in the putative therapeutic effects of the atypical stimulant, modafinil. Currently; my main career interests lie in the development of neurobiologically informed medication treatments for cocaine dependence, such as the ones based on homeostatic changes on the glutamatergic pathways. As an Assistant Chief of the Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit (CNRU) of the Connecticut Mental Health Center (CMHC), I provide care for the patients who are admitted on our floor in order to participate in research studies or in order to receive treatment for the psychiatric conditions afflicting them. This setting fosters collaboration with other clinicians, researchers, as well as teaching of Medical Students and Psychiatry Residents